Smart #5 electric SUV rivals Model Y and Enyaq

Earlier this month we mentioned that Smart’s biggest vehicle yet was due for release. Now the Tesla Model Y rival, Smart #5, is in the public eye. Australia’s Byron Bay hosted the global release. 

This Model #5 mid-size SUV is a far cry from its two-seater Fortwo city car. It’s the largest and most practical from Smart yet, measuring 4705mm long, around 50mm more than competitors like Enyaq and Model Y. With a 2900mm wheelbase this promises bulk interior space. However, it is not a seven-seater like rival Peugeot 5008.

Styled by Mercedes-Benz, the Smart #5 has a boxy shape with unique lighting. It features short overhangs at each end, frameless doors, concealed door handles and a glass ‘panoramic halo roof’. Floating hubcaps mean the Smart logo stays upright when the wheels are rotating, just like on a Roller.

It rides on the same Geely SEA2 platform as the smaller #1 and #3 crossovers. There are two spec levels, Premium and Summit Edition.

The latter comes equipped with an ‘Adventurers’ Collection’ off-road package that includes a light bar, roof rack, side steps, a storage box and a ladder to facilitate loading.

The interior is a screen fest, with a 10.3-inch HD driver’s display and two 13-inch OLED touchscreens on the dashboard. There’s also a 25.6-inch head-up display. A 2000wpc Sennheiser sound system is standard fit and there’s a generative AI voice assistant that Smart says can answer almost any query. It also has an animal avatar, like other Smart vehicles, in this case a lion.

There’s said to be 34 storage compartments onboard while all seats can be folded down to create a makeshift bed. When just the rear seats are out of action, there’s 1530 litres of space. A 72-litre ‘frunk’ offers addition storage.

As to details of its underpinnings, there’s not much yet but it evidently has a 100kWh battery pack, meaning range of 730km on the Chinese test regimen. With its 800v architecture a 10-80 per cent recharge takes around 15min. A model with a smaller battery pack will debut at some point.

Buyers will likely have a choice of single- or dual-motor models. System power ranges from 250kW to 475kW for the performance Brabus flagship. The latter would compete with Kia EV6 GT and Ioniq 5 N.

Expect pricing and full specification to drop before its 2025 arrival.